Stuck (2007)

Touches You

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

From the director who brought us "Kid Safe", an educational drama that teaches kids what to do in emergency situations, comes "Stuck", a movie about grown-ups doing everything they possibly can do WRONG in an emergency situation.The frightening thing is that this tale is no joke. At the heart of the story is a true event that happened in Texas in 2001 (the woman's real name is Chante Jawan Mallard). But I strongly advise you NOT to look it up until after you've seen this movie, otherwise the fun of this bizarre, unbelievable movie will be shadowed by the harshness of reality. The Texas case has been retold & dramatized several times, but this is the first time I've seen it done with a funny-ish presentation which effectively diffuses its disturbing nature and makes it "entertaining".I loved this movie. It's not exactly a thriller, not a comedy, not a straightforward drama but a very psychotic mix of all three. The DVD description tries to make it look like a tense thriller while the trailer makes it look like a comedic romp. Yes, it has elements of both, but the best way to take this movie is as a total surprise, no expectations of any particular genre.So I won't say much about the plot except that it's got a dash of Stephen King's "Misery", a bit of the Coens' "Fargo" and a squirt of Ira Levin's "Deathtrap". It's basically a story about having the absolute worst day of your life. And I don't mean just getting fired or dumped or a speeding ticket. I'm talking about a day so bad that Job from the bible would buy you a drink.Normally movies like this stress me out, but this one crosses so far into catastrophe that it becomes surreal, detached, and darkly humorous. So you can shut off your sympathies and just watch the fun. Each actor was excellent, beginning with Stephen Rea (keyboardist for Strange Fruit in the movie "Still Crazy"!) playing the role of a schlep who can't get a decent break if it hit him at 40 mph, literally. Then there's Mena Suvari (American Beauty, Caffeine) who plays an average girl who somehow taps into her inner psycho. Her slow, neurotic descent makes the her character more believable and engaging than the real Mallard ever was. But for my money the show-stealer is Russell Hornsby in one of his earliest big screen roles, playing the part of a tough guy drug dealer who, in reality, can't defend himself against a chopstick. Russell's character is what injects the comedic element into this otherwise nonstop tension piece, adding to the film's unique quirky personality.In addition to the aforementioned classic films, I would suggest this movie to people who enjoyed "Heathers", "Super" and an obscure diamond called "Don McKay" with Elizabeth Shue as the crazy femme fatale. All of these films are memorable for their genre-stretching approach to murder & mayhem, and "Stuck" fits right in with the best.

Bardo's luck has run out. He's thrown out of his apartment, penniless and homeless -- social services are rude and useless and the cops won't let him sleep in the park. Just when things couldn't get worse, he literally crosses paths with Brandy who is high on E. Bardo gets embedded in her windshield after she plows him down and leaves him to bleed out in her garage, while she goes about her life. As far as demented comedies go, this one delivers. Even as the comedy gets good and gory, a very good grounded performance by Stephen Rea keeps this from going over the top and you care enough for the poor bastard that you want him to get free from all that glass. The finale heads a bit too far into Stuart Gordon gross out territory, but that is hardly a criticism as we get a bloody audience friendly end. The running time is wisely brisk as there's not much story here, but we get gallows humor by the bucket full. As typical for a Gordon film, it looks visually behind the times by about 15 years, but he gets a quality performance from Suvari, who carries her scenes very well. Stuart Gordon has had such a bizarre career with highs and lows (really lows), from his classic B grade Re- Animator to barely watchable direct to video junk like Castle Freak, this one he knocked out of the park. After the train wreck that was his previous film Edmond, he shows a command of tone and humor and intelligence that has been missing from his work for some time.

First time I started to watch this movie, I was pi**ed off purely cause of Mena's style. She's looking like white chick who is from black ghetto. Then her drug dealer boyfriend appeared, and that was it. But, years later, I found myself going through this movie much easier. Its a strange story of denying and rejecting, finding truth, learning truth and some really realistic aspects of modern society through really good performance of Mena Suvari, very convincing. There are some blood & gore that wouldn't be that easy for everyone, but, then again, this is not movie for everyone. Those who look at life like some fragile, glassy window who shatters through the wind will find meaning. A strange one and a good one.

Going around these user comments and outside reviews, I see that some people have labelled "Stuck" as something of a black comedy. Actually, I didn't see it that way. While the movie does have a share of darkly humorous moments, I felt most of the movie was treated straight, as a thriller. And as a thriller, I really enjoyed this movie. The performances are top notch, especially Russell Hornsby playing the boyfriend who talks tough but turns out to be otherwise. There is a lot of suspense as we wonder throughout if the unlucky protagonist will get out of his painful and unfortunate situation or not. Although the movie does seem a little stretched out at times, and the ending is somewhat abrupt, the movie is never boring and will keep you watching until the end.